BHUBANESWAR: With a number of proposed steel plants, including many in the mega project category, running behind schedule in the State, the State Government has asked companies who signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) to furnish details of physical and financial progress made till December 31, 2011. According to official sources, the State Government action came in the wake of a letter from the Union Ministry of Steel asking about the progress of various steel projects. “We will apprise the Centre of details of progress made by different steel companies,” said Chief Secretary BK Patnaik. The State Government has also asked the companies details about their land acquisition status, investments made so far, raw material linkage and present status of the projects. Though at least 59 steel manufacturing companies had signed MoUs with the State Government to set up steel plants about five years ago, only 29 of them have been able to start partial production. All mega projects, except one or two, are lagging behind schedule. The 59 companies had committed to produce 132.76 mtpaof steel by investing about ` 3,70,435 crore. Ultra mega steel projects proposed by Posco-India and ArcelorMittal, which had signed MoU to produce 12 mtpa steel each, are yet to begin land acquisition for their proposed projects even after five years. Both of them are now seeking renewal of their MoUs.
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